Running Away

Aila and Kathryn ran back to the village hand in hand. The rumbling had stopped as quickly as it came, but the word still rang in Aila's ears. Dovakiin. They had buried the jar of coins back where it was and headed back.

The villagers had come outside at the noise; they were all grouped together talking amongst themselves. One of them saw Kathryn and Aila approaching and pointed. "There she is!" he shouted. They all turned to look at them. No, not them. Just Kathryn. Kathryn let go of her hand when they got closer. "Kathryn!" another villager said. "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You know what! That quaking!"

"You think I know?" Kathryn was starting to sound angry.

"We know you know! You're always up to something."

It was dark, but Aila saw Kathryn's hand ball up into fists. "What?!"

Aila was standing next to Kathryn. She had never seem her so angry before. "K-Kat," Aila said. She ignored her.

"What did I do?!" Kathryn yelled. "What makes you think I had something to do with this?!"

"You're always skulking about, doing Gods know what." someone said.

"Are you mad? The only reason I skulk is because none of you ever let me near you!"

The villager started backing away. They looked scared. "Kat..." Aila said again.

"What?" Kathryn said sharply. When she turned her head, Aila saw why the villagers were backing away, and she took a step back herself.

"K-K-K-Kathryn... your e-e-eyes..." They weren't sliver anymore. They had changed, and were shining a bright yellow. Not just her iris, but her entire eye. The only part that remained the same was her pupil, which stayed black. Kathryn's eyes widened, and she reached up and covered one with her hand. She suddenly looked terrified. She looked at the crowd of villagers, then at Aila, and then ran. She ran back the way they came, down the road back toward the Guardian Stones. The crowd dissipated with murmurs like, "freak" and "monster" That made Aila angry. She wanted to yell at them, but the words wouldn't come. Instead she ran after Kathryn. Before she got to the gate however, someone grabbed her arm. She jerked free and tried to run again but the person grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. It was Gerdur.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Aila didn't answer. She tried to shake herself free, but she couldn't. "You not following Kathryn are you? That girl is no good."

"No she isn't!" Aila screamed. Gerdur was so surprised by Aila's outburst that she let go of her. Aila could've run then, but she was too angry. "She's not a monster or a freak! She's just a nice girl with strange eyes, and you resent her for no reason!" There. She said it. She turned to leave but Gerdur grabbed her arm again.

"You are not going with that..." Aila punched her. It was slow and clumsy, but it was so sudden that even Aila was startled by it. Gerdur held her nose and cursed, and Aila took the chance to run after Kathryn. When she reach the Guardian Stones she called out to Kathryn.

"Go away," was her reply.

"Kathryn, where are you?"

"Just go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Aila said.

There was silence for a moment before Kathryn said "I'm over here."

Aila walked behind the Warrior Stone and found her sitting, looking out into the wilderness. Aila sat beside her. Kathryn's eyes were back to normal, and she looked as if she might have been crying. Aila had never seen Kathryn cry before. It made her fraught with worry. She didn't like seeing Kathryn like this. "Don't listen to them, Kat." Aila said.

"It's true though. I'm just a freak."

She heard that? Aila thought. Kathryn was already gone when those insults were said. "No, you're not. Don't say that." Aila shivered in the cold night.

"Yes I am. You saw me." Kathryn said.

"So your eyes are a bit weird, that doesn't mean you're a freak," Aila said. Kathryn didn't answer. Aila was growing more and more concerned. This wasn't Kathryn. Kathryn was the loquacious girl who didn't have a care in the world. Not this glum and desolate girl Aila was seeing now. Aila stood abruptly. "Come on, let's go," she said

Kathryn looked up at her in confusion. "Go where?"

"To Whiterun. You said it's only three days from here. We can go there."

Kathryn blinked at her in surprise. "You still want to go with me? Even after what you saw?"

"Of course I do. You're not happy here, Kathryn. Maybe you will be at Winterhold." Aila held out a hand. Kathryn grabbed it and pulled herself up.

"What about food?" she asked. "And clothes, and bedrolls? We're not prepared."

"I can get all that stuff. It's not a long trip we won't need much, and we can get more at Whiterun. Just meet me at the bridge, okay?"

"Okay," Kathryn said. "and thank you. Thank you so much."

Aila smiled and headed back toward Riverwood. Aila changed into warmer clothes and packed everything she thought she needed into one big sack and headed out. By then, most people had gone to bed, so no one bothered her. She walk to the bridge and found Kathryn waiting for her on the other side. She was holding the jar of coins. She was still in her short sleeve tunic, and Aila couldn't understand how she didn't even seem to feel the cold.

"You got everything?" she asked.

"Yep," Aila replied. "Everything I could think of."

"Then let's go."

The two walked down the road to Whiterun and Kathryn was restless all the while. "I can't believe I'm finally doing this," she was saying. "I wonder what it's like there. What kind of spells do you think I'll learn? I bet they have all sorts of spells."

Aila listened as Kathryn fell into one of her rambling sessions. It was nice to have her back to normal. They didn't walk very far. It was already dark, and Aila soon grew tired. They made camp just off the side of the road. Aila tucked herself in her bedroll and tried to sleep. The ground was hard but the bedroll gave her some much-needed warmth. Aila noticed that Kathryn hadn't even set up her own bedroll yet.

"Kat? Aren't you tired?" she asked.

"No." Kathryn answered.

"You're not still upset are you?"

"No, of course not. I've just never been an easy sleeper."

Aila felt her eyelids getting heavier. "Well... if you need anything... just tell me." she said sleepily.

"I will," Kathryn promised.

Aila fell asleep after that. When she woke, she saw Kathryn leaning against a tree watching the road. Aila sat up and yawned. Kathryn turned her head.

"Oh, you're awake," she said. Aila didn't see Kathryn's bedroll anywhere.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Aila asked.

Kathryn gave her a small smile. "No. Don't worry about it though, I'm fine." Aila's stomach growled. She got out of her bedroll and looked through her sack.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I brought some fruit, dried beef, and... Oh, Look!" Aila took out a cheese wheel and held it up. Kathryn ran towards her excitedly and took it from her hands.

"You're the best, Aila!" she said and broke off a piece and munched on it. Aila smiled and grabbed an apple.

"Just try not to eat cheese the entire trip, I only brought two wheels."

"You should've brought three. I could have one wheel a day."

"If you eat like that you'll get fat." Aila said. Kathryn laughed at that.

They finished their breakfast, packed up their bedrolls and started the day. They alternated who carried the sack every hour or so. For Aila it was incredibly dull. There was nothing to do other than walk, and her legs quickly became tired. Kathryn still seemed full of energy despite not getting any sleep, which bewildered Aila.

"So," Aila said. "How did you learn you can use magic?"

Kathryn seemed to be thinking. "I don't really know. I've been able to for as long as I can remember."

"What's it like?" Aila asked. "When you use magic. How does it feel?"

"Hmm... It's hard to explain. When I use magic I can feel it drain my energy. I think It's called magicka. The more powerful you are, the more magicka you have. When I use magic I can feel the energy flowing through my arm to my hand." Kathryn paused to think. "I don't know how to explain it. You have to do it to really know how it feels."

"Do you think I'll be able to use magic?"

"I don't see why not."

"I hope I can." The prospect of using magic excited Aila. She shivered. "I think the days are getting colder." she said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"How? It's so cold. Aren't you cold? You must be in the shirt. There are no sleeves."

Kathryn shrugged. "I've been colder."

The rest of the day was exceptionally tedious. As the day dragged on Aila noticed it definitely was getting colder. By mid-afternoon She had put on another shirt to keep her warm. Kathryn continued to give no signs that she was cold. Aila thanked the Gods when night finally came, and they set up camp. Aila ate a small supper of dried beef and lettuce. Kathryn had the same, but added some cheese. Aila lay down her bedroll and crawled in. Kathryn stayed up. The bedroll helped, but she could still feel the cold creeping in. Aila had a harder time falling asleep that night. The second day was much like the first, only colder. Even Kathryn had changed to a long-sleeved shirt. Kathryn admitted to another sleepless night. She didn't even seem tired.

"You have to sleep," Aila had told her. "It's not good for you to stay up every night."

"I'll sleep tonight," Kathryn replied. "I promise."

Around noon it started to snow. It was a light snow, and there was no wind, so the snowflakes gently floated to the ground. Aila thought it was quite pretty. That night was colder than the other two nights combined. Aila was shivering despite having three shirts on and two pairs of pants. Kathryn still didn't seem cold. She was in her bed roll, laying down. She promised Aila she would sleep, and she was trying. She just didn't seem tired though. Aila closed her eyes and tried to sleep herself. It was no use. It was too damn cold.

"Aila," Kathryn said.

"Hmm?"

"You look cold."

"It is cold, Kat."

"Right... you know... it'd be warmer if... ah, never mind."

"What?" Aila asked. She would do just about anything to get warm.

"Well... It'd be warmer if we slept in the same bedroll."

Aila thought about what she said. It would be warmer.

"Okay," she said after a while. Aila jumped out of her bedroll and rushed over to Kathryn's. She climbed into the bedroll, acutely aware of the larger girl next to her. Almost immediately, she began to feel better, and Aila realized something. Kathryn was warm. Really warm. So warm something was off about it, but at the moment Aila didn't care. She was just glad to be out of the cold. With the frigidness gone Aila felt sleep begin take ahold of her. She barely registered huddling up next to Kathryn. "You're warm..." Aila muttered before she fell asleep.

The morning of the third day came, and Aila woke on something soft. She lifted her head and yawned. "Sorry," she said. She had been laying on Kathryn's chest.

"I don't mind," Kathryn said with a small smile. Aila climbed out of the bedroll and looked through her sack for breakfast, hiding the fact she was blushing. It was warmer that morning, but still cold.

"Do you know how long until we get there?" Aila asked. "I'm sick of walking."

"I think we're almost there, actually. Look." Kathryn pointed of into the distance. The land was mostly plains, so Aila could see for leagues. On the horizon she could see a faint object. At first she thought it was a mountain, but it was too small. Then Aila thought she could make out a the shape of a building.

"Is that Whiterun?" Aila asked.

"I think so," Kathryn answered.

"Let's hurry then. I want to get there as soon as possible." Aila pack up her bedroll.

"What about breakfast?"

"Here," Aila tossed Kathryn a slice of cheese and some beef. "We can eat while we're walking."

They kept a faster than normal pace to reach Whiterun quicker. "Kathryn?" Aila asked when they were close.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No," Kathryn admitted.

"Is it because I was laying on you? I'm sorry."

"No, it's not you fault. I don't think I would've been able to sleep either way."

"How do you go three nights without any sleep?" Aila asked.

"Actually, it's been longer than that."

"When was the last time you slept, then?"

"Loredas."

"That was six days ago! How do you never get tired?" Kathryn only shrugged again. It was hard to believe Kathryn hadn't slept in five days. They had reached the city. "Well maybe you'll get some sleep tonight," Aila said as they pushed open the doors to Whiterun.

When they opened, there was a man on the other side. He was a great brute of a Redguard, twice as tall as Aila and looked as if he could take on saber cat bare handed, though he could just as easily use the massive warhammer that was slung across his back. The sight of him sent Aila into a silence. He walked past without a word. Aila could hear the clinking and clacking of his armour as he walked. When he was safely past, Aila realized she was holding her breath. She let it out and looked at Kathryn, and she looked at her.

"Damn," Kathryn said.